Being an athlete comes with its fair share of ups and downs. One of these lows is getting injured, which can prevent the athlete from playing. With the start of Football and Cheer season, over eight serious injuries have emerged. Many of which include concussions, bruised ribs, broken bones, pulled muscles, and torn ligaments from contact.

Lloyd De Klotz, a junior, plays Varsity Football and Golf for Xavier. On August 17, 2018, against Notre Dame, Lloyd said he went out for a pass, caught it from his best friend, Bradley McClure, and turned up the field for about eleven yards. While Lloyd attempted to evade the opponent’s defense, he hesitated and tried to cut back, but in the process, he felt a pop in his knee and immediately went down. Lloyd was not able to walk himself off the field and needed assistance to the bench, where he was closely examined. An MRI revealed a torn ACL.

Lloyd has been unable to play for two weeks. When interviewed he stated, “You put in the work over the summer with your friends to be able to perform in games and having to sit and watch from the sidelines makes you feel alone opposed to the brotherhood you feel while on the field.” Lloyd’s injury has also prevented him from driving, so he depends on others. He still attends games and practices but tries to stay out of the way and not distract the players. However, if he sees that someone needs support, he will hop over to them and assist them. Lloyd still expects the same effort from his teammates and their willingness to compete, if they are physically able to. Lloyd will be able to play golf in five months. The time actually worked out perfectly as the golf season starts in five months. As for football, it is too early to know when he will return and will most likely be out all season.

Bree Oandasan poses in her cheer uniform, ready to cheer on the team.

Bree Oandasan, a senior, is part of the Xavier Varsity Cheer Team. Bree was injured in late August at practice when she was practicing a stunt. As one of the fliers on her team, Bree’s job is to be held up in stunts, however, something went wrong. Her head hit the mat, which resulted in a concussion. Bree has been out of Cheer for about 3 weeks now. She added, “It’s honestly been really hard because I love Cheer and flying, and I miss being with my team. At the same time, I’ve never been to a football game as a spectator so that was pretty fun.”

Bree is unable to participate in cheer, attend school functions like volleyball games and the Pasta Dinner, and cannot do homework for long periods of time. Now Bree watches practice and when the team is learning new routines, she can see which parts should be cleaned up and how to modify stunts to fit counts. Bree still shows them support. Bree will able to practice with them this coming Monday, but it will be quite a while before she can stunt again.

Abraham Torres sporting his cast.

Abraham Torres, also a junior, plays Varsity Football for Xavier. Abraham was injured during the football team’s second game, against St. Monica High School. Initially, he did not know his hand was fractured, so he just taped it up for our next game against Seton Catholic Preparatory, where the pain intensified. It wasn’t until he received his x-rays, that he learned that he had a broken right hand.

Abraham is right-handed, so it has been difficult trying to adjust to using his left hand to complete school work and other activities. Somewhat frustrated, Abraham said, “ It has been two weeks since I have been unable to play.” Abraham realizes that sitting on the sideline has made him appreciate the time he has on the field. Being sidelined has also made him more eager and determined to make good use of the time he has left once he is cleared to return to play. During practices, Abraham can run but cannot make any contact. During the games he is on the sideline, supporting the Saints. He shows support to the team by staying committed to the team and going to practice. Torres still contributes to the team by doing extra work on his own time and getting himself to a quick recovery. Abraham Torres is scheduled to return to football in three to four weeks.

These three athletes are essential parts of their teams, even if they are unable to play. Through their injuries, they gained new perspectives of the sports they play. Every athlete will experience injury, but all that matters is how you handle it and bounce back.